5 Days before Christmas
by LesserWraith
Summary: A five-day series of stories about the upcoming celebration, Christmas, featuring your favourite characters.
1. Snow

I stare at Hiccup, who is in turn staring at the window. He's had his hands folded on the window for a while, mumbling about random stuff and obstructing my way of sleep. He's forcing me to give up my beauty sleep, which is usually a no towards everything else who tries to try. Instead of blowing him up, though, my favour bends towards of watching him doing whatever he does. I considered sleeping on _his_ bed just to annoy him, but something about his keenness in watching the night really intrigues me.

So, instead, I walk up to his side, and give him a questioning look. It's always the same expression, wide eyes and a soft rumbling sound, and always the same question, _What's wrong?_ but always his emotions are different, but always too are they happy when I ask him.

"What's wrong, Toothless?" he asks, patting my snout gently and smiling.

_You're kind of preventing me from sleeping,_ I say. I know he doesn't understand me word for word, but I'm glad that he has a good sense of guessing.

"I won't be for long," he says. "It's not like it's going to come, anyway..."

I stare at him curiously. _It?_ Is that his secret nickname for his mate, Astrid? I used to make loads of names for his mate, but I guess the given name of his is what matters, since he actually _cares_ for Astrid.

I bump my head against his hand gently and croon.

_Don't worry. She'll be here before long._

Hiccup looks at me and smiles.

"Thanks, bud. I appreciate it."

_Do you want me to wait with you?_ I ask, crooning and raising my eyes up to a questioning level. _Please say yes,_ I think to myself. _I don't have anything else to do._

He smiles.

"Sure, Toothless. That would be great."

I croon, bumping my head gently again as a sign of acceptance. I've never fully submitted to someone's will before. I've never so willingly done what someone, or something has asked of me before. It's scary sometimes, when I think of it, to so unreluctantly do what another being asks, to let one's words control my life, but I don't. When I think of it, I only see one idea, one truth that cannot be changed. My life is his.

Just like his life is mine. We're one, unseparated, connected beings for life.

Well, mostly. If only he liked raw fish and female dragons. Then we'd _totally_ be together. Apart from that, we pretty much like the same things, you know. Flying, eating, pulling pranks on other people, we even like the same music. I have no idea how that could be, but he's a fan of slow, calm songs, just like me.

_I thought we could live_

_Without knowing sadness_

_I thought that it_

_Was for forever_

_And like many things_

_I was right_

_And like many more_

_I was wrong_

_But it was not anyone_

_Who judged these thoughts_

_But me_

_And thus I lived_

_For eternity_

_Without knowing sadness_

That's an example of a song that he once sang to me. I tried to sing along with him, but I got mixed up at the sounds I and thought. The human tongue is strangely weird and full of incessant sounds.

I continue to stare at the skyline with Hiccup. The stars are so close to us it's like we could fly out right now and touch them. But I know Hiccup doesn't want to fly now. He's waiting for Astrid.

I watch as a little fire, left unattended outside, burns in its little light, flickering now and then as the cold winds shudder it chillingly. Many times does it threaten to go out, but after every gust of wind, at least some part of the wood reignites the fire, causing it to spread to the rest of the luke fuel and blaze upwards again, its particles ascending into the heavens again, always replaced by new, fleeting blazes that too flicker into the sky.

"You know, Toothless, I think I'm going to bed," he says, patting my head gently as he turns away from the window. "The snow's not going to fall tonight."

_Snow?_ I ask, tilting my head in inquiry. _I thought you meant Astrid. Or is her name snow as well?_

"You know, the little white crystals that fall from the sky," Hiccup says jokingly. "Anyway, you should be going to bed too. It's not like you're needing to sleep or anything, but-"

I shake my head, drooping my eyes and mumbling about how sleep deprived I am.

He laughs. Lowering himself down to me, he pats my head.

"C'mon. Go to sleep, bud."

I croon, smiling as he walks back to his bed. I don't care how much he's grown throughout the time that we've spent together, or how much he's changed with the course of time, because to me, he is always the same. He's still that boy that freed a dragon and became friends with the strongest dragon of the sky.

I curl up into my usual rock on the floor, closing my eyes lazily as I listen to the sounds of myself descend into sleep. However, another sound wakes me up.

I open my eyes slowly, and hear Hiccup's shivering groans more clearly. I watch as he shivers in his sleep, wrapping his arms together tightly in an embrace that hardly warms him up.

_It's that time of the year again,_ I think. _That time when humans suddenly feel cold at night. Weird._

Humans can be cold on the outside, but a lot of times it makes their inside cold too. Dragons are generally warm all the time, with what fire that we hold, so it's sort of strange to hear humans call us "cold-blooded".

I get up, taking small steps as I walk slowly towards his bed. Just like the times that we first spent together when we met, everything was a slow process of getting to know each other, a process of trust and tests that eventually made us grow close. It was these little steps, that allowed us to leap into something so happy and peaceful. It was us, and our small steps, that made a journey that saved two whole species. But even that fazes in importance when it comes to the relationship that we share. He's my air, and I'm his fire. We keep each other alive, one never without the other, always happy and noncaring in company.

I reach his bedside, the sight his shivering body eating at my heart like frostbite. Nothing hurts me more than Hiccup feeling unhappy. Nothing.

I poke my snout on his side gently, crooning and wishing he'd stop shivering already.

Hiccup stirs slowly, turning his head towards me in confusion.

"Hmm?" he asks, still shivering slightly, but his expression joyful to see me.

I nudge his side again.

_Want to sleep next to me?_ I ask, unfurling a wing in offer. _It's warm in there._

Hiccup's confusion, upon seeing my expression, quickly melts into a smile.

"Sure, Toothless," he says, getting off the bed. He suddenly stops and point towards the windows.

_Hmm?_ I ask, turning around.

I see the sky, the moon, and the village, but with a soft descension of a blanket of snow with it. Its little crystals and chilly wind blow it around, falling softly from the endless above, landing soundlessly on the ground below, never ceasing its slow fall towards the ground, bringing with it whiteness and peace.

"Toothless…" he says, walking towards the window slowly, mesmerized by the calm beauty of something so simple and elegant. "You woke me up just in time."

I walk up to his side. He already has his arms folded across his body in coldness, but he doesn't seem to mind, as long as he gets to see the snow. His eyes reflect the serenity of the air, the quiet that binds the farthest of people together, as he stares onwards at the falling snow, watching as they drift slowly through the air.

He subconsciously takes a step towards me, leaning against my body gently in search for warmth. I croon in surprise, which snaps him back to Earth.

"Oh, sorry, Toothless..." he says, stepping away from me guiltily. "Didn't know that you didn't like that."

I snort, getting up on two legs and draping my wings over him. Smiling, he snuggles into my wings as I sit back and let him feel comfortable in my embrace. My front legs drape over his shoulders gently, my snout looking down on his face, watching him as he stares right back up at me, smiling knowingly.

"Thanks, bud," he says, tilting his head in appreciation. We stay in this stance, our eyes locked together in a bond of trust that only the other can provide, never wavering. Eventually, he turns his head back to watch the falling snow, and so does mine.

We stay there for the rest of the night, watching as the snow falls to the Earth, the coldness they bring unable to chill the warmth of our embrace. Like the flame outside the window, our fire burns on.

* * *

**L/N: Surprise! This is the first of the five short stories that I'll be posting for you guys before (and on) Christmas. Stay tuned for more, and, as a Christmas gift, I'm letting _you_ decide what I'll write in the following chapters! Anything from little scenes to whole new settings are accepted. One rule, though: no Toothcup. Sorry. :P**


	2. Statue

"Toothless, get up!" a voice calls out.

_Mm? I'm sleeping..._

"C'mon, Toothless, let's go!" the same voice calls out, the only sound resonating in my ears as my mind slowly allows itself to accept more and more of the world around me.

_I'm sleepy..._

"Get up, Toothless!"

I slowly open my eyes, ready to scorch whoever dares ask me to wake up. I don't care if it's one of the villagers. If they have enough courage to try and interrupt my sleep, they'll have enough courage to eat a fireball to the face-

"_Toothless! _Look! It's a wonderful day outside!"

Hiccup's face swirls into view, his happy face and excited tone evidencing the fact that he's pretty brave to wake me up.

_You're Hiccup, _I growl to him sleepily. _So I'm not going to scorch you alive._

I close my eyes and head back to sleep, but a smooth hand on my rough snout makes my eyes flutter open again. I croon in dissatisfaction.

"Toothless, I'm trying to share something good with you. Just get up already!"

_Sharing good stuff? You should share my sleep... that's a really good thing._

Hiccup rolls his eyes. My eyes fixate on his own. Although I'm going to admit that Hiccup's always shared the best for me. Except sleeping times.

"We don't have all day, you know," he says. "C'mon. Before the others find out that I'm still home."

My ears perk up at the word "others", and quickly fall in aggression at the word "still home".

_What? Are they going to hurt you? _I ask, bearing my teeth in a sign of protectiveness. I don't feel like I own any part of Hiccup whatsoever (except maybe my rights to wake him up), but I don't think I've ever let anything that hurt him come out alive- well, except myself. And maybe Hiccup's little friends that Hiccup so often asks me to spare.

"Let's go to the Cove," Hiccup suggests. "Everyone else is out by the docks seeing the water freeze and break."

I blink once, twice, and then thrice in confusion. Then, when Hiccup doesn't answer, I just grumble.

_Weird, _I think to myself. _Watching ice break is always a weird pastime._

Hiccup smiles as I get up, shaking off my sleepiness in exchange for the need to work in order to get sleepy again. Apart from flying (with Hiccup), sleeping is one of my favourite hobbies. I mean, there's not a lot to do when you're following a boy all the time- but he's always getting into trouble! What else is supposed to be do without me?

What else am I supposed to do without him? I don't mind that I'm grounded without him, but I don't want that to be the only reason that I'm always around him. Sometimes he even admits that it's annoying at points. Regardless, it always pays off since he always almost runs into something and I get to grab him just in time, which makes him take back his words. I dunno. It's just that being with him is fun and that he's the only person who actually understands me. I mean, you don't see people read other's thoughts so easily, right? We literally fill in each other's sentences without much effort. There are some people who think they 'own' dragons and speak whatever the hell they want to them, not knowing their true thoughts and emotions, as if they were just a common dog.

Although I guess sometimes we have conflicting thoughts as well. But it's never been much of a problem, I guess.

Hiccup climbs up onto my back, and without a warning, I take off towards the Cove. But Hiccup's always prepared when it comes to flying.

We haven't been to the Cove for a while now. Hiccup's world and our world often conflict with each other. But I guess that's the thing with humans; you have so many people to talk to every day. I certainly don't like talking to other people (not that I can, but that's not the emphasis).

"The snow's so pure," I hear Hiccup whisper as we fly over the woods. It's been snowing for a few nights now, and the places untouched by the feet of humans and the paws of dragons are a silvery white sheet of snow, covering the land and soul alike in its peaceful calamity of subzero water.

We land in the cove, and immediately Hiccup exclaims at how much snow the Cove's accumulated in just a few days. I find it strangely weird to see the pool frozen, with snow covering it all over. As Hiccup gets off me, I make for the pond slowly, trying to find the place where it is. After a few trials and errors, my feet slide over something slippery- and I immediately slip.

As my snout heads to the icy ground, though, a pair of hands hold right back up.

"Hungry for fish, aren't we?" he asks, to the growling of my stomach in response. I straighten up and shake my head.

_What happens to the fish when the water freezes? _I ask, nodding my head towards the ground an whimpering gently. Even though I eat them all the time, I can't help but feel curious for the little fishies down there, and the little fates that await for them each winter.

"No, Toothless, you shouldn't burn the ice just to get the fish-"

I shake my head, growling in annoyance. Usually, if Hiccup isn't paying enough attention, he tends to misread me, which is annoying sometimes.

_Bros before Astird,_ I tell him.

"Oh, um," he says, "Sorry."

I repeat the question again, crooning gently at the end as a _please? _tone.

"Well," he says, licking his lips, "I think only the top of the ice freezes, so the fish are okay down there."

Unconvinced, I let out a growl.

"I'm serious!" he says, waving his hands up and down. "I've seen them before. Look down and see for yourself."

I nod my head, without looking down at the pool, crooning gently.

_I trust you,_ I tell him. _Especially if it's about fish.__  
_

"Whatever," he grins. "Here, I want to try something out."

I tilt my head, which is enough for Hiccup to get the message.

"I want you to sleep," he says, which makes me tilt my head the other way.

"Really!" he says with a chuckle. "Or, if you want, you can leave your eyes open and ruin the surprise."

_Surprise?_ I ask myself. _I'm pretty sure that your offer was surprising enough..._

"It won't be for long," Hiccup assures me. "Just for, like, an hour."

Recalling the sleepiness from before, I realize how deprived of sleep I actually am. I spent all night watching Hiccup mumble about truffles is his sleep...

_Alright,_ I say, furling my wings in and resting my snout near my front paws. _I'll sleep again... though I find it odd that you'd make me come all the way here to sleep._

Hiccup smiles. He's still smiling when I fall asleep, my dreams about flying and fish underneath the frozen water.

**T**

I wake up after exactly one hour. As I open my eyes, I am shocked to see Hiccup adding the finishing touches to a snowy statue of Toothless, i.e. me, in a sleeping position.

As I walk up to him, he turns around to face me and beams.

"How'd you like it?" he asks, smiling happily. "You're an excellent model when you're asleep."

I snort, nudging him hard enough that he loses balance and falls into the snow. I walk to him and lick him gently. Then I get a great idea.

"Ah! Hey, that smarts..." he says, wiping the saliva off him. I begin to herd snow with my snout and wings, gathering little and large amounts of snow alike.

"Hmm? What's that?" he asks, asking as he gets up.

I turn around, give him another lick, and croon.

_Making your statue, you dummy,_ I croon. _Now, stay still._

And he does.


	3. Decorations

"Candles," Hiccup says, holding out his hand absentmindedly.

I look at the wide array of items strewn along the floor. Metal, wood, candles...

"C'mon, Toothless," he says. His eyes are fixed on the snowy roof of the house, the place where I used to sleep before they gave me a home fit for a dragon (i.e. a rock).

Retracting my teeth, I reach down and grab a candle, the waxy, strange stick that people use to create fire. How does anyone make fire from this?

Experimentally, I scorch one of them, causing it to burst in flames and melt into liquid.

"Toothless!" Hiccup says, turning his head towards me. "Don't burn them!"

I croon questioningly, nodding towards the candles.

_You humans are weird. How do you light stuff with this?_

"_Toothless,_" Hiccup says, annoyed. "Candle."

My ears fall back, rolling my eyes and grabbing another candle. It tastes horrible in my mouth, but Hiccup snatches it out of my mouth before I have time to complain.

"Thanks, Toothless," he says sarcastically. "Your help is really appreciated."

I warble in answer.

_No, like really. Candles are weird. Even the name is weird. You humans have weird names._

Hiccup rolls his eyes, and goes back to hammering a small wooden box on the roof. He precariously places the candle inside of it, and then moves on to hammering another box.

_Hiccup. Toothless. Stoick. You guys have really weird names. And tongues._

"Wreath," Hiccup calls, holding out a hand absentmindedly.

I roll my eyes, reaching down and grabbing a wreath. A circle of pine and flowers, a little bell and cloth on top. How does that look cool?

"Be careful not to damage it," he says absentmindedly. "Astrid made that."

I growl. My eyes slit into a small peripheral, my ears moving backwards as Hiccup takes the wreath away from me. _So she's so high and mighty, huh? A princess to a prince?_

Hiccup, equally annoyed, ignores my warning signs.

"You know, Toothless, sometimes I think _you're_ the useless one."

_You'd be surprised to see what a best man can do,_ I growl. _If you ever live that long._

He rolls his eyes and goes back to the decorating. He hands the wreath by the door, hammering a nail into the wood and letting the wreath suspend itself above the ground.

Decorating is stupid. Why do humans even try to make their living quarters lively? It's not like you're trying to gain the attention of anyone. It's a waste of time, really. If you wanted to relax and/or be happy, then why just not have a party, or go hunting, or, as a more recent option, go flying? Hiccup hasn't been intent on flying ever since the snow has fallen. He reckons that he'll get sick, but I'm sure that he has another reason.

Stupid boy.

"Candle," he says, reaching his hand out again.

I roll my eyes, flinging a candle into his face. It smacks him right in the face, causing him to recoil.

"Toothless!" he says angrily. "What's wrong with you?"

_You keep using me as your pet,_ I growl. _I'm not just going to stand here like your watchdog and hand you everything that you need for something that's so stupid and pointless._

"If you're not going to help," he says, "Then can you please leave?"

I stare at him in disbelief. Not once has he said that with such annoyance. I've always been with him, and yes, sometimes he's complained, he's always put up with me.

He _needs_ me. Right?

"Toothless," he asks, raising his eyes in annoyance. "I know that you mean the best-"

"Hiccup!" a voice yells. Hiccup and I turn around to see Astrid, Hiccup's mate, walking towards us quickly. Before Hiccup can say anything, Astrid plants a full-fledged kiss on his mouth, leaving him quite exposed to the sudden attack.

_No, I don't,_ I growl. _Stupid human._

Before he can call me back, I turn around, walking away from Hiccup, my head raised high in the air. Even if he called, I wouldn't have cared.

Hmph. you can get along by myself, mighty viking.

**T**

I'm walking through the woods by myself, watching as the leaves and branches snap under the pressure of my feet. Hmph! Stupid Hiccup. Thinking that he can manage by himself… he'll see how much trouble he's getting himself him. He should be glad that he has a friend that follows him everywhere. Not even the stupid Nadder does that to his lovely to-be mate. Stupid idiot…

The woods remind me of when I was alone. I used to trudge the small paths of woods, looking for land animals to hunt down when there were no bodies of water in the vicinity. I was a wanderer, back then, moving from place to place without another thought in life.

The snow does not chill me like it chills humans- I am a dragon. Dragons are stronger than humans, and generally smarter. I always do the best things for Hiccup, but he doesn't seem to ever get the right thing for me. Or anything else, really. It's usually me who has to plan the sneak attacks on Astrid so she can cross paths with Hiccup.

Stupid human.

Suddenly, I hear the woods give a small rustle. I stop immediately, my ears raised in sensitivity. If something's that's not me moving in these woods…

I catch a glimpse of something black shift ahead of me. A small, black thing moving on top of another black thing. It bobs up and down a bit, but is otherwise incredibly silent in its movements. It's tender, both in its movements and texture.

And I know what that thing is. I'm one of them.

_Hey!_ I roar excitedly, jumping forwards and running towards the shape. _Night Fury! I like you!_

Another Night Fury! Another of my kind! Finally! And it's a female!

My legs sprint as fast as I can towards the black figure, who gets up in alarm and begins to run.

_Hey!_ I yell, letting out a roar that is unique to Night Furies. _Listen to me!_

The black figure finally stops, turning around and looking at me curiously. As my eyes meet the Night Fury, I skid to a halt almost immediately in shock.

It's a male.

The male dragon looks at me in a surprised expression as well, but otherwise does not move.

_You were saying?_ he asks, a curious look on his face.

Thor, please strike me with thunder now. Aaaaah! I'm glad that I finally see one of my kind, but why, of all things, a _male?_

_Uh- nothing,_ I say rather awkwardly. _Hi._

_Hi_, he answers in a series of croons. Yeah, we communicate this way. _Are you looking for someone?_

_I was sort of wondering how any more of me existed,_ I half-mumble, hoping he doesn't notice my tone.

Hey, you're not the first Fury who's asked that, he says, his ears perking up in interest. _The last three that I met all asked that, and that was, like, three months apart each._

I take in his physique. Slightly smaller than me, but certainly more agile. He doesn't look like he'll be able to best me in a fight though, with that innocent and sincere look on him. I can tell, from the scars that he bears, though, that he's not a pushover in fighting.

_You mean, there are _more_ of us?!_ I ask, raising my head in surprise. _I thought-_

_I know, I know, we don't mate often,_ he says. _But, yeah, we're still around. Which shocked me the first time I found out too._

_And you've been…?_ I ask.

_A lot of places,_ is all he answers. _I travel all the time._

_Oh…_ I croon. _Then… do all Furies travel like you?_

_All the others that I've crossed paths with do,_ he says. _How about you?_

_I, uh…_ I begin, my thoughts drifting back to Hiccup. Kissing Astrid. _I'm a regular._

_I guess it would be hard, with a cloth tailfin,_ he says, nodding at my tail.

I look at it, and bring it up so I can see it better. It has the sign of the Night Fury on it and everything… and it's been getting wet from all the snow. I realize that it's been making the flying a little off-balance for a while, because of the soaked tailfin.

Maybe that was why Hiccup wouldn't fly with me.

_Yeah,_ I reply. _But I'm fine, really._

I spot something else moving near the cliff. It's black, and it's tender...

_I can see that,_ he says with a matter-of-fact look. _Did you make that yourself-_

_Holy smokes!_ I roar, dashing past him towards him. _No way!_

A female Night Fury! A mate!

_No way he's getting her,_ I think to myself. _He's got nothing on her._

My legs dash even faster than before, and a few seconds later I'm standing face-to-face with the most beautiful Night Fury I've ever seen. Whoa… she's pretty!

I look at her proudly, spreading out my wings as a sign of trust. She looks at my shyly.

_Hello,_ I say, grinning at the thought of Hiccup seeing me right now. With a _proper_ girl.

_Hello…_ she says, tilting her head gently. Man, she looks so nice when she does that…

_Where are you from?_ I ask, determined to pick up this girl. She's _mine._

_I'm from farther north,_ she says with a coo. _And you?_

_I'm from around here,_ I say, feeling more and more excited by the moment. _Would you..._

_Could you move a bit?_ I hear a sound from behind me. I snap around, standing face-to-face with the male Night Fury from before.

_Why?_ I ask in a challenging tone.

_That's my mate,_ the male points out, letting out a small croon towards the female. She smiles coyly in return.

I feel like a massive brick just smashed into my heart.

_Uhh… I was just excited to see another of us,_ I say, being incredibly convincing and all. _So… you're together?_

_We're more than together,_ he says with a proud croon. _She's going to have dragonets soon._

The former brick also moves in to crush all feelings of hope and need to mate. If they hadn't mated, then I could still challenge him...

_Oh… alright,_ I say with a (really) disappointed voice. Which, miraculously, the male Night Fury doesn't spot out.

_Well, we'll be off now,_ he says, reaching his wing to touch mine. I look at him in surprise.

_It's a way of sending someone off,_ he explains. The female Night Fury does the same, and as her wing touches mine, I wildly resist the urge to pour out my feelings to her. _Or greeting, but I guess you were too preoccupied with making conversation._

_Sorry, I didn't know,_ I answer meekly. I can't help but let out a small gruff, but once again the male Night Fury doesn't show any signs of sensing my jealousy. Innocent idiot. It's always the innocent who get the girls.

_See you,_ the female Night Fury says, and I nearly lose myself in her beautiful voice. It's her -mate- who says the final goodbye, and I simply nod as they take off.

I watch them as they leave, and the second I do, I flop down on the snowy ground in extreme disappointment. I huff several heavy breaths, my tongue flopping out in exasperation.

_Just when I thought things were looking up,_ I think it myself. _Nnnnnnnnn. I can't even get a mate. Dammit dammit dammit dammit dammit-_

"Toothless!"

I lay still, closing my eyes with a small whimper.

"Toothless, are you okay?"

Recognizing the voice, I open my eyes to see Hiccup, face anxious and sweating, looking at me with a relieved expression.

_Never been better,_ I croon, my eyes watching him clutch his stomach as he recovers himself.

"I'm sorry, Toothless," he pants. "I shouldn't have called you useless. I'm really, really, sorry-"

He doesn't get to say anymore, as I immediately leap up and push him to the ground, my legs hugging his sides in my own version of a hug.

"Oi! Hey!" he says, fending off my tongue as it licks his face repeatedly and laughing. "If you want a hug, let me get up and do it properly."

Getting up, I offer my snout for him to get up. He does, and runs up to hug my snout.

"I'm really sorry," he says guiltily. "I was being stupid… I'll fly with you double time tonight."

I croon, pulling away and giving him a lick.

I shake my head.

"What?" he asks, scratching his head in confusion.

_I'm just happy that you're here,_ I croon happily. _That's already more than I thought I'd get._

He smiles.

"Whatever you say, bud," he says, rubbing my snout happily.

I warble. There are lots of things that I'd set aside for a mate.

But not Hiccup.


	4. Party

**There are some mild themes here. But only mild!**

* * *

"What?! Really?!" Hiccup's excited voice yells out. "No way!"

"I'm serious," Fishleg's voice comes. "They're actually inviting us to the Snowdown party this year!"

"With all the adults and all the mead?!" he asks, holding his hands together in anticipation.

"By Odin, of course," Fishlegs says with a smile. They high-five each other, triumphant faces on them.

From the window, I see him jump up and down, pumping his fist in the air in euphoria. I slump down and roll my eyes. _Humans go wild over the smallest things-_

"YAHHH!" I hear, before being tackled into a massive hug by Hiccup. How he manages he latch onto my back so firmly is beyond my knowledge, but he's still clinging on after I get up, a bored expression on my face as I try to throw him off.

_What now?_ I mumble, turning around to see Hiccup jumping off me, running around the room wildly, yelling random words of joy.

"It's happened!" he yells, running up to me and hugging me tightly. "It's finally happened, Toothless!"

_A lot of things are happening,_ I think to myself. _Which one is this?_

"We're allowed into the Mead Hall this year!" he says, hugging me so tightly I can feel my breathing tubes constricting. "We'll get to drink and everything!"

_Yaaaay,_ I croon unenthusiastically. _Let me know when you'll be back. I still want my flight time._

"We're going to be partying for the whole night!" he says pulling away and hugging my snout instead. I widen my eyes, crooning in question.

_All night?_

"Yeah!" he says, jumping up and down in front of an indifferent me. "My father says that I'm old enough to be part of the party now. Isn't that awesome?"

_Yaaaay._ I blow a raspberry in response. Hiccup stops jumping in surprise.

"What's wrong?"

I stick out my tongue. _I dunno, maybe you've forgotten about a certain dragon around here or something. I don't know. Do you?_

"You don't want me to go to the party?" he asks, tilting his head.

_Not really,_ I mumble, pawing the rock below me gently. _It's just that I don't want to be bored out of my mind. There's not a lot to do, except for flying._

"Hey, you'll be happier when you hear this," Hiccup says, rubbing my snout gently.

_What?_

"You're going too."

**T**

So, two hours later, I'm dressed up in a horrible red cloak, watching intently as Hiccup fusses over his clothes. Once again, I'm watching him with a bored expression. It took him forever to convince me to put on this cloak ("It makes you look like a vampire!" was what made me finally allow him to drape the cloak over me). Now time to watch him suffer.

"Ah, this won't do..." he says, discarding his outer shirt for the fifth time in a row. For someone who has a terribly small wardrobe, he seems to be taking a lot of his time just trying on clothes.

_Maybe you should go naked, at this rate,_ I huff, settling my snout on the ground boredly.

"C'mon, Toothless," he says frantically. "Does this suit fit my legs?"

I roll my eyes, looking at Hiccup's thin form. Brown, fit pants, green undershirt, and a grey top. No belt. At this rate, he'll be entering the party as a mold.

I shake my head, growling at the top.

"Oh, alright," he says, removing his top and stuffing it back into his wardrobe quickly. "Thanks, bud."

I let out an annoyed warble.

"I know, I know," he says. "Now… how about blue?"

He puts on a hideously blue shirt, which is also oversized. I suspect it to be his father's.

I shake my head.

"White?"

I shake my head.

"**Turquoise?**"he asks desperately.

_Nope._

"Aw, c'mon," he frets, discarding the shirt and walking around the room anxiously. "How will Astrid like me if I go in looking like an idiot?"

_Idiots can't tell from good looking and ugly,_ I reply boredly.

Hiccup shoots a glare at me. I raise an eye. Sometimes I think Hiccup can actually understand what I'm saying.

_That goes for Astrid too. Besides, why would she care?_

"I don't want to end up with someone like Ruffnut," he says annoyedly. "Now, which colour would fit me the best?"

_I'd say going naked would allow you to appeal to Astrid the most,_ I croon. _She'd like that._

"Toothless."

_Alright, alright._ I roll my eyes.

I get up and walk towards the wardrobe. It smells strongly of teenager pheromones, for some reason.

_Hmm… not red…_ I say, looking at the array of clothes. _Not purple… why does he even have a purple shirt…?_

"Hurry up, Toothless," Hiccup says, looking at the setting sun outside. "I swear, if this party turns out well, I'll spend the whole day with you tomorrow."

My ears perk up at the offer, but I remain fixed with my head in the wardrobe.

_Hmm… orange? Nah… or… maybe it's not just the shirt…_

I grab a black shirt for him and turn around.

"Black?" he asks, giving me a confused look. "With brown pants?"

_No, you dummy,_ I snort. _With this._

I grab a pair of black pants and black undershirt and throw them to Hiccup. Hiccup, who has just put on the black top (which looks surprisingly good over the green undershirt), stares at me in surprise.

"What?" he says, looking dumbly at the pants.

I warble.

_C'mon. Change._

He rolls his eyes.

"I had the impression that I was dressing up as Hiccup, not as Toothless," he says, looking at the pants. "Seriously. This makes me look just like you."

I snort. _Well, this is all the help that you're going to get. I'm not a fan of any fashion design besides Toothless T, TM._

He looks at me in the eye. Seriously.

"This had better work," he says seriously. "Otherwise I'm not taking you flying for the rest of the winter."

I croon.

"Alright..." he mutters, looking at his clothes. I watch him intently.

After not changing for a while, I croon in question, to Hiccup's scowl.

"Well, I'm not going to change pants in front of you!" he says annoyedly.

I roll my eyes, but otherwise don't change in posture.

_It's not like I'm going to look,_ I croon amusedly. _You don't have a lot to look at._

Hiccup glares at me.

"Out."

After warbling once, I turn around and head out of the room. I catch the words 'Stupid dragon' on the way out.

**T**

"This had better be worth it," Hiccup mumbles, looking at his black undershirt, black suit with black collar, black pants, black chain belt, and even black boots. He doesn't look like a vampire, like I do, but the manifestation of Night itself. He carries with him a mysterious aura, a strong, independent boy beneath the sarcastic remarks to those he trusts. As we're walking to the Mead/Party Hall, he is almost invisible.

_I'm always worth it,_ I croon. _And you look just like me, so you're worth it too._

"Well, at least if I screw up really badly, I could just take off into the night…" he mumbles. "Which is probably going to happen," he says, shooting a glare at me.

I croon. _Well, you_ **did** _ask for my help._

"Hiccup!" a voice behind me calls. We turn around and spot Fishlegs, with a horribly brown top, running towards us. "Are you ready for the party?"

"Hopefully," he answers, looking at his attire again.

"Whoa," Fishlegs says, looking at Hiccup up and down. "You look really…"

"Really what?" Hiccup asks, looking at Fishlegs desperately. I roll my eyes.

"Umm… I can tell that you had a little bit of help from Toothless," he says with a smirk.

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Oh, nothing," he answers with a smile. "Anyway, gotta run. Can't miss out on asking out a specific girl."

"Who?" Hiccup asks, but Fishlegs has already taken off, leaving Hiccup and me staring after him.

"There's no way he's going to ask Astrid out, right?" he asks, looking at me anxiously.

_I doubt he looks good enough to,_ I answer with a warble.

"He'd better not look better than me," he says. "And I look hideous."

"Hiccup!" A female voice calls from the Mead Hall's entrance. Inside, I can see the rest of the teens dancing inside already. Loud music is also reverberating from inside, mostly due to Gobber's exceptional abilities with human instruments.

"Oh, gods, I'm dead," Hiccup says. I snort, shoving him forward with my snout. Hiccup glares, but immediately smiles shyly when Astrid nears him.

"Ow!- Uh, hi, Astrid," he says, trying to stand as casual as possible (which, in all respect, doesn't look casual at all).

"My goodness..." Astrid says, putting a hand to her mouth in shock. "You're..."

"What?" Hiccup asks, trying really hard not to tremble.

"You look so _nice!_" she says slowly, looking at him with complete interest. "So mysterious…"

"I- I do?" Hiccup asks.

"Of course..."

She walks up to him, touching his neck in one hand. Hiccup shudders from the touch, but doesn't falter to Astrid's moves.

"And _hot_… wanna go inside to dance?"

Hiccup, completely mystified, walks into the hall with Astrid, hands entwined with one another. He looks like he's in complete bliss, and it looks like he's deserved it.

Watching them go, I roll my eyes and begin to walk back home. As I near the house, the snow begins to fall.

_So much for me going,_ I mutter to myself. _Stupid human always forgets me when he's with that girl. Absolutely no credit to me…_

_Hey!_

I turn towards the direction of the voice. It's Meatlug, who's flying slowly towards me.

_Hi,_ I say in a bored voice.

_You're not going to believe what I just found out,_ she says, flapping her little wings quickly.

_What?_ I ask, wondering how I ended up talking to her.

_Fishlegs went to the party! Without me!_ she says, flaring her wings angrily. _Well, that's not the point, but he didn't let me know! I thought he trusted me!_

I roll my eyes.

_I'm pretty sure he still trusts you,_ I mutter. _He probably just thought that you wouldn't approve of his partying._

_Since when have I ever not approve anything that he did?!_ she flares. _Nothing! And he's going off like _**this, _alone!_**

_I'm pretty sure he's having fun at the party,_ I say, imagining him getting laughed at with his horrible suit.

_He'd better be,_ Meatlug says angrily. _B__e as happy as he can before I get my paws on him._

I secretly think to myself that paws her size probably wouldn't make a dent in anything, but I just nod.

_Anyway,_ she says, her eyes clearing up a bit, _Want to go to the Mead Hall with me? You might be able to stop me if I do anything crazy._

My eyes widen, then rolls again.

_You want_ me _to stop_ you _from_ _doing crazy things?_ I ask incredulously.

_Yeah,_ she says. _Something like that._

_Well, I guess I'll go have a look on Hiccup as well,_ I mutter, brushing the snow off wings. _See how he's faring._

_Let's go,_ Meatlug pipes up.

As I walk, Meatlug has to fly to keep up, but she doesn't mind all that much. The Gronckle tribe isn't famous for their paws anyway.

_So, what it with you and Hiccup?_ Meatlug asks.

_What?_ I ask, stopping and looking at her.

_I mean, you two are so_ **cool!** she exclaims fangirlish-ly. _You and him single-handedly ended the war. But you don't act like a hero at all! You just act cool about it, like it was nothing._

_It wasn't all that important,_ I mumble, walking onwards.

_See?! You're so cool!_ she says, flying next to me. _Plus, you're never not by his side. You two must be really close. _

_He's the most tolerable of the humans,_ I say. _And he sort of _did_ save my life, so it's my job to protect his in return._

_He never told you?_ she asks, looking at me curiously.

_Uh, what? _I ask.

_He was the one who shot you down._

I turn, looking at her with slit eyes.

_What?_

_I'm not kidding!_ Meatlug says, fluttering away from me in recoil. _Fishlegs said that he heard Hiccup one day saying that he shot down a Night Fury. That's about it._

I look at her intently, trying to spot out any lies. After I don't find any, I just shrug.

_Well, then he_ **did** _sort of save my life anyway, so it's still my job to protect him, _I say.

Meatlug warbles in question.

_From the Red Death's oppression,_ I say matter-of-factly. It's normally a tense subject to the original dragons, but not when it's just one-to-one conversation.

She looks at me for a long time.

_You're really grateful that he_ **shot you down?** _And _**took away half your tail?**

_If I knew that my life was going to get this good when I'm with him, I'd give a little bit more than that,_ I reply flatly.

There's silence for a few minutes.

_I wish Fishlegs was that loyal to me,_ she ponders. _But he's off with some female human today._

_And they're not even thinking of mating or anything,_ I croon. _They're just dancing._

_I know, right?! That's weird!_

And, so, I somehow manage to find someone to talk to on Dance Night, despite having not going to the party.

When I do reach the Mead Hall, Hiccup's nowhere to be seen.

_Good luck on finding him,_ Meatlug says, touching my wing as she heads into the Mead Hall. _Vampire._

_You too,_ I say, still wondering how I somehow ended up talking to her. She's okay, I guess…

"Oh my gods!" I hear Snotlout's voice from inside the hall. I stay on the outside, concealed from sight by the entrance.

"He killed it!" comes Tuffnut's voice. "How?"

"I didn't know he could dance that well," Ruffnut's (drunk) voice says. "And now he's got Astrid!"

_Astrid?_

"Did you see that? He got into the middle of the crowd, danced like it was the end of the world, and pulled Astrid right in!"

"That's my son!" Stoick roars. "That's my son!"

_Hmmm…_

I walk away from the Mead Hall, and walk to its side. At least I can wait for Hiccup in peace there-

_Oops._

I instantly see Astrid, whose body is pressed against the wall of the building, being kissed ferociously by Hiccup. Both of them reek the scent of rum, and they're both moaning in an unknown language.

I quickly back off, warbling gently to myself as I jump to the roof instead. It takes me a few tries, but I manage to get up despite not having the wingpower. At least I can see more from there-

_Oops._

It looks like Hiccup and Astrid have now made it to the woods.

_That's my friend, _I think to myself with a grin. _That's my friend._

* * *

**L/N: Well, I _hope_ that was mild.**


	5. Gifts

It's that time of year again. Winter cycles are never all that consistent where I used to live, but it sure is on Berk. The people here have unspoken checkpoints for the season. First, it's the snow that falls at night. The next day, people come out and see the village covered in a white, silvery decoration of white, and the youth come out to play with the snow. A few days later, people suddenly start putting up ornaments and begin to decorate their houses. By night, the whole village is alight with candles and festive colours. Not long after _that_, everyone seems to head to the Mead Hall for a giant party. No one even talks of it. How they manage to remember all of that? It's crazy!

Oh, and there's usually a day where people give more things to people than usual. That's usually the day when people are the happiest, despite just giving other people random stuff. It's not like you can _use_ the stuff, either. Sometimes it's just a _flower_. What good is a flower?

_Yawn._

I find it all weird. Why are people really happy all of a sudden? It's as if a spell had encased the whole village and made everyone incredibly jovial. They seem to forget their differences all of a sudden, and some even start going to extreme measures of craziness by singing in front of other houses. That's crazy! If I was a human and I saw people singing in front of my house, I would have told them to get their paws off my property!

_Croon._

Oh, well. Time to go and get some food.

I make for the door, making sure to not unfurl my wings and disturb Hiccup on the way out. He's not the best morning person in the world.

I think of the last time the snow was falling this hard. It was then, when the dragons went out to have their young… most of the dragons have left already. The stupid Nightmare is a father, the Nadder has kids… blearugh.

I like the thought of having kids. I'd like to see them around me, playing, shooting little balls of fire and nuzzling up by my side. But I've never seen another of my kind before. Besides, I wouldn't have time for Hiccup, because I'd be too busy with my mate. Naahh.

Besides, then I'd get involved in all kinds of love affairs. If you've ever heard the idea that dragons mate for life, then you're pretty much in trouble, because, like humans, dragons will pretty much mate with _anyone_ if it's the right time.

I catch Hiccup's father by the fireplace, snoring loudly, as I head downstairs. People call him 'chief', but to me, he's just another person. Power is only effective when people believe in it. For example, to other dragons, I am a fearsome Night Fury, and I can pretty much abuse them into getting the stuff that I want (i.e. fish). But when it comes to Hiccup, I have absolutely no power over him.

Just kidding. I have _some_ power over him.

It's just that he doesn't see me as someone who is to be feared. I mean, he smiles whenever he sees me, not 'get down!' like the unfamiliar vikings would yell. Which makes it hard to get him to do what I want a lot of the time (especially since humans are too involved in their own affairs to care for other's).

Blearrgh.

But, hey, he risked his life to save me a few times . So he does have time for me. At least on the extreme scale.

_Yawn._

I head by the docks alone- it feels somewhat strange when I'm not following a boy all around the island. Which, from an outsider's look, is basically something that dragons do; roam. I get a few waves from people as they pass by. Some of them question Hiccup's presence, but I ignore them all. I should be feeling free of the boy that gets into trouble constantly, relieved of the alertness that always keeps me up whenever I feel Hiccup's getting into trouble… but instead, I feel lonely. Walking without a purpose, looking for food to survive for another day.

I catch Snotlout and Hookfang by the docks. I roll my eyes and head for another path, but the voice of Snotlout catches my ears.

"Here, Hookfang!" he says, holding out a large package of fish. "I got this just for you!"

Hookfang lets out a long croon, bringing his overgrown snout down to let Snotlout pat.

"Of course, Hookfang," he says with a smile. "You're awesome."

_Hmm… Snotlout usually isn't this smart,_ I think to myself. _Nor is the idiot dragon._

"So, what's your present for me this year, huh?" he asks, gloating loudly. "What's your present for the Big Daddy?"

I roll my eyes and head on, though I can hear a large slurping sound as I leave.

As the snow falls, I enter the docking area, where the fish are being unloaded haul by haul. The fishermen curse at the low catch, but praises the snow as they will be able to preserve the fish for a while longer.

I've never wondered why people keep on insisting to preserve fish, even Hiccup. But I guess that they and their little hands can't always hope to catch a fish every time they go out- which is why a lot of them don't, and they rely on the fishermen on getting the fish they need. I guess this is what happens when you can't do something on your own; you rely on others to do it.

But if the fishermen stop fishing one day, Hiccup's always got me to get fish for him.

Anyway…

When the men are unloading their fish, I sneak past a couple of boxes, and set my sights on the closest pile, which lies a few wings away from me. If I could distract them…

I find a little pebble by my feet. Hoping that it'll be enough, I kick it towards one of the fishermen. It hits his head and rebounds onto another's.

Instantly, the two men turn on each other.

"What'd you do that for?" one of them asks angrily, raising his fist.

"What'd _you_ do that for?" the other responds, blocking a punch and landing one of his own.

As the fight becomes increasingly violent, it attracts more people- which allows a sneaky me to get past the others and snag the basket without hassle.

I drag the basket the whole way home, making sure that I take the less populated path to attract less attention. I end up behind Hiccup's house, where I begin to dig into the food ravenously.

_Now, when Hiccup wakes up and complains about having to get food for me, I'll just burp really loudly in his face and throw him a fish! He'd be shocked…_

I'm pretty busy in eating the food when I hear Hiccup's voice- from the front of the house.

"A-Astrid?"

"Happy Snoggletog!" Astrid yells. There's a short scuffling sound in what I assume to be Hiccup getting hugged. This gives me enough incentive to jump up to the roof and watch stealthily from above of the house.

_Lovebirds,_ I groan to myself.

I watch them hug awkwardly, and after they pull out, Astrid gives Hiccup a green scarf.

"Uhh… thanks," Hiccup says, accepting it. I snort quietly from my secret hideout.

_Stupid human doesn't know what luck he's in,_ I think. _Or misfortune._

"I… uh, got you a present too," he says, handing her a little drawing of her.

"Huh," she says with a light punch to his arm. I nearly growl out loud.

"Yeah..." he says, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly.

"Anyway, I'll be off," she says, walking away with a happy face. Hiccup's face is slightly red, too, but that's about it.

Fishlegs is the next to arrive; he gives Hiccup a book (101 Ways to Annoy a Dragon), and Hiccup gives him a bunch of exotic rocks that he found when we were exploring an island.

_Those things weighed a ton,_ I think to myself. _I was wondering why he insisted on taking those rocks. Why are they giving useless stuff to each other, though?_

Next are the twins, who give him a fork, then another fork. Their excuse is, 'We ran out of cutlery.' I'm just glad that they even knew such a word.

"Um, thanks, guys..." Hiccup says as a random villager gives him some pretty boring gifts. "Man, getting all this stuff just because of the son of the chief…"

"You should be proud!" Stoick's voice rings out from inside the house. I retreat backwards to not get caught as he flings the door open. "Look at my gifts!"

Hiccup eyes the interior of the house and says, "That's a battle axe."

"I know, right?" he booms, patting Hiccup on the shoulder. "A worthy weapon for a chief."

"Have you seen Toothless?" Hiccup asks as another villager shows up with winter flowers. "I haven't given him his present yet."

_Present?_ Why?

I think for a few seconds. _Presents…_

And then I remember Hookfang at the docks. _Presents. Is this…_

And then I completely remember.

It's Gift Giving Day. The day humans give stuff to each other.

And then I start panicking.

_Oh no oh no oh no oh no…_

I stealthily dart back into Hiccup's room, running around in circles and wondering what to give him. My snout darts back and forth between Hiccup's drawings, random texts written on scrolls, and a picture of me and Hiccup flying, which is hung on the wall.

_No… these are all Hiccup's stuff. I've got to go get something to give him!_

I dash to the window. Spreading my wings, I-

"Going somewhere?"

I turn around, and to my horror, it's Hiccup.

_Oh, no._

"Toothless?" he asks with a jolly grin. "Something gotten to you?"

Crooning once, I jump out the window, and head straight for the woods.

"Hey! Wait up!" I hear him yell, but I'm already streaking away. His repeated yells tell me he's following me, though.

_Just wait, Hiccup…. I'll find you a present,_ I think to myself.

After a while, I've put massive distance between him and me. I slow down a bit, thinking of what I could give him. I shudder at when would happen if I didn't.

I reach the cove in no time, and I instantly start looking around for stuff that could be given as a present.

_Rocks? No. Branches? No. Umm… fish?_

No! This won't do! Arrgh! What do I do?!

I hear the sounds of panting, and I know that my time is near.

_Um… oh no… uh…_

"Toothless, I swear, you are the fastest dragon I have ever-"

As he enters the cove, I immediately try and hide away. There is a small tree, I can hide behind that-

I fold my wings and hide myself behind the tree. Hopefully he won't see me-

"Um, Toothless?"

I feel someone poking at my wing membrane, with a very amused voice accompanying it.

_Mm...? Who's Toothless…? Go away… I'm trying to sleep..._

"You know that you're completely illuminated because of the white snow, right?"

_Snow? What snow? Uh…_

"Tooothless. I'm here."

_Well, um… could you, um, wait so I can get you a present first?_

"Aw, c'mon, Toothless," he groans. "I'm pretty sure hiding here isn't the best idea. Why are you hiding, anyway? There's nothing to be afraid of."

_Mmmmph._

"Umm… bud? I think my ankle hurts..."

Immediately, I unfurl out of my cocoon and sniff his leg in interest.

_Doesn't look bad from the outside… are you sure it's just-_

I look up to see Hiccup chuckling. I narrow my eyes.

_You tricked me!_ I growl, raising my head to his level.

He laughs. "Alright, alright. I'm sorry. But I wanted to know why you were running away from me, no?"

My eyes instantly go wide, and my head slumps to the ground in exhaustion.

_Um… about that…_

"Toothless?"

_I, uh… sorta forgot to give you a present,_ I say embarrassedly, hoping that he understands.

By forces unknown, he somehow does.

"Hey, buddy..." he says. I feel a hand rubbing my snout, and I open my eyes to see Hiccup.

_I'm sorry!_ I whimper. _I didn't find you one! I completely forgot that you needed one! I'm sorry!_

"Toothless..."

_Ground me from flying!_ I whimper, still watching his hand on my snout. _Starve me! Just don't get mad at me!_

"Toothless, I didn't bring you a present, either."

My eyes instantly widen. I pick myself off the ground, crooning questioningly at Hiccup.

"I know it's a day of celebration and everybody's giving stuff to everybody, bud…" he says, "But those stuff aren't really important to me. They're signs of appreciation, but they don't really _show_ appreciation in themselves. They're just another soulless object, if I could call it that. They'll be important one moment and then just another object later on."

Hiccup holds my snout and smiles.

"But… objects can only bring you so far. Do you know what the best kind of present is?"

I shake my head.

"It's friendship, Toothless," he says with a smile. "It's important now, and it'll still be important for times to come. You'll treasure it in your heart and you won't let it go."

He rubs my snout happily.

"In other words, you don't need to give me a present. You've been giving it to me ever since we met, Toothless. I found a friend in a dragon, and that's worth more than every single thing that's ever been given to me."

He pulls me into a hug, and with my heart, I hug him back.

* * *

**L/N: Merry Christmas! Consider this my present to all of you who have read my stories. You rock!**


End file.
